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> It is created by governments and its value is driven by taxation. How does taxation drive value? Which taxation? There are governments that don't charge inco

> It is created by governments and its value is driven by taxation. How does taxation drive value? Which taxation? There are governments that don't charge income taxes, there are governments that don't charge property taxes, there are governments that don't charge sales taxes.

dools 5y ago
There are many different types of taxation, but there is no currency that doesn’t derive its value from taxation. People call things like Bitcoin currency but until a sovereign runs their financial system of federal settlement payments on the Bitcoin blockchain it is only a commodity like gold or silver or corn.
mietek 5y ago
Simply: money is what you use to pay your taxes.
remolacha 5y ago
This idea comes from Modern Monetary Theory (MMT). Most mainstream economists do not agree with it. But the MMT claim is that at base, people only need USD because it’s how taxes are denominated. The notion is that without the driving force of compelled taxation, no one would use USD or other sovereign currencies. MMT also claims, through similar logic, that a monetary sovereign can print an extreme amount of currency without causing inflation. Which MMT’ers use to justify massive government spending programs.
- dools 5y ago
  The words “extreme” and “massive” are subjective. MMT claims that the best way for a monetarily sovereign government to maintain aggregate spending at full employment levels is to hire anyone willing to work but who cannot find work in either the private sector or the permanent government sector. Also note that the work of legal historians such as Christine Desan who are not affiliated with MMT economists concurs with this analysis. Also note that most mainstream economists do actually agree with the tenets of MMT when individually stated but base their disagreement on a deliberate misreading/misstatement of MMT which they then proceed to criticise. That taxation is sufficient to drive demand for a currency is not contentious, that it is necessary is unconfirmed.
- aww_dang 5y ago
  The idea isn't exclusive to MMT. Critics from across the spectrum recognize that taxation supports the USD. Buttresses such as legal tender laws, the petrodollar system and other barriers serve to support the USD. Tally sticks are an early example of monetized debt as a taxation medium. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tally_stick https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tally_stick

dools 5y ago

There are many different types of taxation, but there is no currency that doesn’t derive its value from taxation. People call things like Bitcoin currency but until a sovereign runs their financial system of federal settlement payments on the Bitcoin blockchain it is only a commodity like gold or silver or corn.

mietek 5y ago

Simply: money is what you use to pay your taxes.

remolacha 5y ago

This idea comes from Modern Monetary Theory (MMT). Most mainstream economists do not agree with it. But the MMT claim is that at base, people only need USD because it’s how taxes are denominated. The notion is that without the driving force of compelled taxation, no one would use USD or other sovereign currencies. MMT also claims, through similar logic, that a monetary sovereign can print an extreme amount of currency without causing inflation. Which MMT’ers use to justify massive government spending programs.

dools 5y ago
The words “extreme” and “massive” are subjective. MMT claims that the best way for a monetarily sovereign government to maintain aggregate spending at full employment levels is to hire anyone willing to work but who cannot find work in either the private sector or the permanent government sector. Also note that the work of legal historians such as Christine Desan who are not affiliated with MMT economists concurs with this analysis. Also note that most mainstream economists do actually agree with the tenets of MMT when individually stated but base their disagreement on a deliberate misreading/misstatement of MMT which they then proceed to criticise. That taxation is sufficient to drive demand for a currency is not contentious, that it is necessary is unconfirmed.
aww_dang 5y ago
The idea isn't exclusive to MMT. Critics from across the spectrum recognize that taxation supports the USD. Buttresses such as legal tender laws, the petrodollar system and other barriers serve to support the USD. Tally sticks are an early example of monetized debt as a taxation medium. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tally_stick https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tally_stick